The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reopened the Independence Bridge in Lagos.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Umahi announced that permanent repair work on the bridge is scheduled to begin in three weeks.
He added that contractors had worked overnight to make the bridge ready for use.
The bridge was temporarily closed on April 1 for critical maintenance and rehabilitation, with the closure initially expected to last until the end of May 2025.
However, the closure led to severe traffic congestion on Wednesday and Thursday morning, affecting various parts of Lagos Island.
THE WHISTLER reports that motorists encountered heavy gridlock around Ozumba Mbadiwe, Falomo, and Osborne during the period.
On Thursday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu apologized to residents for the inconvenience caused by the traffic congestion.
He explained that the repair project, handled by Messrs Buildwell Construction, had been in planning for over three years and was essential to prevent a potential disaster.
The governor stated, “First, I think what is appropriate is really to first tender apologies to all our citizens and to all Legosians for the very, very difficult, erroneous traffic that was experienced in the last 24 hours in the city and within the island of Lagos.
“I think this apology is important so that we can take full responsibility as a government, both at the national and sub-national level, for just putting our citizens through an unfortunate incident. It was all well-intended; it was all for good causes; it was all for us to avert a future disaster that was waiting to happen.”
